Possessions (2013)

Possessions Review

Possessions is a 2013 animated short film directed by Shuhei Morita. It’s a flawed, but interesting experiment.

One night of the eighteenth century, in the depths of the mountain, a man is lost and finds a small temple. In the moment when he enters, the room space is transformed into a completely different world. This short is part of an anthology of sorts called Short Peace. Shuhei Morita directed this one so well and the movie is fueled by an interesting atmosphere of mystery and deeply rooted mythology.

It’s a very Japanese story in setting and also themes as it explores the importance of objects and how they should be revered even after nobody is using them anymore. The movie is very much a heightened and moody period piece that is superbly scored as well. As for the animation, it’s an interesting experiment for sure, but it did not age all that well as it uses 3D and it should have been more traditional to complement its old-fashioned story. But still it looked mostly good with a particularly strong use of its setting and the aforementioned objects.

Possessions is a pretty good Oscar-nominated animated short that has its issues, but its strong atmosphere and cultural authenticity definitely elevated it.

My Rating – 4